On the open road (From Free Press Series)

On the open road

Jo Barnes tries out a 4x4 with a difference - and finds out that size really doesn't matter when it comes to having fun...

Okay, the Fiat Panda is a small car. There is no getting away from that. But what it lacks in size, it really makes up for in everything else.

The Fiat Panda is a real fun car. It comes in a range of funky bright colours both inside and out - but most importantly, it is a 4x4 and a very good one at that, if you believe everything you hear on Top Gear.

MCL took out a Panda to the Sugar Loaf on the kind of day to make your toes curl. It was freezing cold and trying very hard to snow. The ground was wet and the roads we chose to drive along were pitted and boggy in parts.

The car didn't mind one bit. It took the bumps and pot holes in its stride. It seemed to enjoy it when we decided to drive across a bit of a field just to see what it was like really off road.

And, if that wasn't all, it was also very nippy and easy to drive around the streets of Abergavenny.

The Panda is an ideal second car - you'll something bigger if you need to lug a lot of stuff around. It would be great for the school run, or a shopping run, and it seemed just as happy on the motorway as on those country lanes.

So if you want to get noticed in something small and funky, then the Panda should be up there at the top of your shopping list.

FACT FILE

4WD

Panda 4x4 offers you four-wheel-drive when you need the extra traction of a 4x4 ride, and front drive when it is adequate for the job. In normal conditions, drive is on the front wheels. In difficult conditions, such as on icy roads or over an obstacle, 4x4 drive is engaged automatically (by means of a viscous joint and two differentials), without the driver having to do anything, ensuring that torque is distributed over the front and rear axles in optimal proportions.

Dualdrive electric power steering

Compact, nippy and powered by a flexible Euro 4 compliant 1.2 engine, New Panda 4x4's Dualdrive electric power steering brings you the 'City' program for finger light parking, while 'Normal' gives you the feel and response you need beyond the jams.

Facia-mounted gearshift

Panda 4x4 offers you a more comfortable, natural driving position with the facia-mounted gearshift lever.

Price

From £9,915